Can-inverting device for can-washing machines and the like



E. R. ALLING AND F. F. WOLF.

-CAN INVERTIN'G DEVICE FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED usual, 1921.

1,421,056. Patented June 27, 1922.

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E. R. ALLING AND F. F. WOLF.

CAN INVERTING DEVICE FOR CAN WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, I921.

Patented June 27, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

isl; ll STA EDWARD ROY ALLING AND FRANK r. WOLF, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK,ASSIGNORS To.

310E &'ADAMS GOREORATION, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CAN-INVERTING DEVICEI non. CAN-WASHING MAcHINEs AND THE LIKE,

Specification of Letters Patent. l atg t d J n 27 1922 ApplicationfiledDecember 31, 1921. Serial No. 526,237.

Toall whom it may concern:

Belt known that we, Emvann ROY-ALLTNG .and FRANK F. lVo F, citizens ofthe United States, residing. at Buffalo, in the -.county of Erie andState of New York haveinvented .a new anduscful Improvement inCan-lnverting Devices for Can-lashing Machines and theqlike, of whichthe following isa specification.

,This invention relates to washing machines, such for example, ,as areusedfor washing milk cans'or the like, in. which the cans are moved withtheir .mouthsdown- 'ward past fluid discharge. or cleaningdevicesbymeans of which the cans are cleansedand more partlcularly-toimprovements in .means for reversingthe cansor their bottoms downward inorder that'theinteriors of the cans can be readily inspected todetermine if they are thoroughly cleansed, and to permit the covers tobe placed thereo11,.but the means heretofore proposed have eithersubjected the cans to a sudden and more or less violent somersaultingaction with resultant objectionable noise anddamto the cans, or havebeen relativelycom- .pllcated and expensive to prov de, or in othercaseslhave taken up considerable room or floor space.

The objectsof this invention are to provide improved can-reversing anddischarging means of'very simple construction and which requiresaminimum ofroom in which to. turn the cans; and also toprovide means ofthe type set forth which effectually and gently invert thecans as they;are discharged from the washing machine without .denting .or injuringthe cans, and with the .minimum ofinoise. Further objects; are-toprovideim- .provements in can-inverting means for, can washingl machinesin the other-respects hereinafter described and claimed.

In-the accompanying drawings 'Fig. 1 is aside elevation partly insection, ofthe; discharge end of a can washing machineremloodying theinvention.

2is asectional plan view thereof. F g. 3 is an end view thereof, partlyin section.

Fig. 4: is a sectional plan view of the discharge end of the can trackand conveyor.

Eigsfi and Gare plan. vlews of the can .reversing device; illustrating.different success ve positionsofa can beingreversed.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof showing .the same'positioniof the canas. Fig. 6.

Can washing machines embodying :this :inventionusually, though notnecessarily, include conveyors. or means. for; moving the cans throughthe machine. In the-machine illustrated, A. designates,spaceddongitudinal rails upon which the inverted cans Bare slid throughthe,machineand C7 designates spaced rails on which the can lids or.covers D aremoved. E designatesreciprocating pusher bars which carry asuitable number .of can-engaging dogs F, one ofthese pusher barsbeingadapted tomovethe cans and the other to propel; the lids through themachine. .Reciprocatory,motionis imparted to the pusher bars E byapitman G=or-other .means-connected to. any suitable sourceof p we (notshown). H designates longitudinal, side,;guiderails for theta-11s and; I

is a casingorhood through which the cans pass in being washed. Kdesignates, adischarge platform on which the-cans. are.-.deposited ontheir bottoms, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and L is an apronor-in'clineconnectng thedlscharge platform, to the. discharge end of themachine. 1% and N designate legs or supports for the discharge platformand ,machine respectively. The discharge platform is located below thelevel of the tracks A. and C. These hereinbefore described features areknown in the; art. ;The invention generally stated, comprises means forgently -t1pp mg. and; gu dlng; and; lower ng the can from an invertedupright position, first to. a

recumbent;positionas they are moved out of thedischarge end=of thewashing machine, and thence causingthe cans to assumeupr g po t o s withthei mouthsuppermost wh r they. mayead y inspecte Ac d eg t thisincntionh here p vided tithe dischargezend oftherinachin a canve ting armo membe Phasing a downwardly an l tera y: u ved. gui ing p rt a a t esversecnortion cans are turned up to upright position. The can engagesthe guiding portion as it is moved out of the discharge end of themachine, which guiding portion first engages the can at a point abovethe center of mass of the can and is so formed as to permit the can togradually move of its own weight to a recumbent position, in whichposition the can will pivot on the transverse portion of the invertingarm or member at a point about at, or below the center of mass of thecan. From this position, the can, by reason of the momentum gained inits gradual movement to recumbent position, and the weight of itsoverhangingportion, overhalances and falls to-an upright position on thedischarge platform.

In the machine illustrated, 10 designates the can-inverting arm, whichmay bee-onstructed of a suitable metal rod, bar or the like, and whichis preferably provided with a longitudinal downwardly and laterally extending or inclined portion 11, and a transverse curved or arcuateportion 12, which terminates in an upwardly and outwardly extending endportion 13. The inverting arm 10 is rigidly connected to the machine byany suitable means. For example, in the construction illustrated, theinner end of the arm 10 is secured in a bracket 14 which is riveted orotherwise secured to the casing I.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the first movement of the can in the processof inversion or return to upright position should be a forward andlateral tilting of the can, as it is discharged from the machine by thelast can-engaging dog F over against the downwardly extending portion 11of the inverting arm, from which position the can will gradually slideor roll to the recumbent position shown in Fig. .6. Any suitable meansmay be employed to effect this tilting of the cans, for example, thepreferred means illustrated for accomplishing this object comprises asubstantially horizontal extension 16 at that side of the can-supportingtrack A farthest from the inverting arm 10, and. which receives andsupports the adjacent edge of the can mouth as the can is dischargedfrom the tracks. As the can is moved outwardly on this extension 16 ofits supporting track, the opposite edge of its mouth is unsupported andthe can tilts in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, until, ashereinbefore described, it engages the inverting arm 10 and slidesthereon to a recumbent position. This extension 16 pref erably comprisesa flat metal plate which is rigidly secured to the frame or track andwhich has an upturned edge or flange 17 for preventing the can fromslipping off of the extension away from the inverting arm. As the canrolls down the inclined portion of the arm 10, it gradually swingsaround to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, in which it extendslengthwise of the machine with its bottom projecting out over thetransverse portion 12 of the arm 10, in which position its furtherlateral movement is arrested by the engagement of the can with theupturned, outer end 13 of the arm. The heavy bottom end of the can willthen tilt downwardly over the part 12 of the arm, as indicated by thearrow in Fig. 7, and the can will drop down and rest on its bottom onthe receiving platform.

In order to prevent lateral shifting of the can by reason of which themouth of the can might become disengaged from the plate 16 so as topermit the can to drop down upon the apron and not be inverted, a guidefinger or the like is positioned to engage the side of the can oppositeto the plate 16 and to prevent any excessive shifting of the mouth ofthe can in that direction. In

the preferred form illustrated, this member comprises a finger 18 fixedto and projecting a short distance outwardly from the frame at the sideof the track opposite to the plate 16. In case the can shifts inwardlyon the plate 16 the finger 18 engages the neck or shoulder of the canand ensures that the can will properly tilt to engage the inverting arm.

The change from the laterally and downwardly sliding or rollingmovement, which change occurs when the can assumes a recumbent positionand starts toswing or turn over to upright position on the dischargeplatform, results in the first part of the movement from recumbent toupright position being relatively slow and gradual. As the canapproaches an upright position it slides bottom foremost upon thereceiving platform. As the cans are subjected to severe handling whileresting upon their hottoms when in use and are reinforced andstrengthened, with this in mind, it is not necessary that this lastportion of the inverting movement be designed with any par ticular viewto restraining the descent to upright position, as is necessary andprovided herein when the can is supported or rests upon its mouth orsides, but it is contemplated in order to prevent undue noise that thedischarge platform may be cushioned with any suitable padding orresilient material.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a can washing machine having a track along which cans are moved onend through said machine, the combination of a transverse member spacedfrom the dis charge end of said track and adapted to support a can whilein a recumbent position and to permit said can to turn thereon to anupright position, and downwardly and laterally curved guiding means forsupport ing the upper end of a can moving from said end of said trackand guiding said can to a recumbent position on said transverse member.V

2. In a can washing machine, the combination of means for supportingcans in upright position while they are passing through said machine,said means having one side portion thereof broken away at one endwhereby cans discharging therefrom will be tilted to initiate movementsof said cans toward recumbent positions, means extending transversely ofthe path of travel ofsaid cans for engaging said cans when they are inrecumbent positions and permitting said cans to turn thereon to assumeinverted upright positions, and means positioned to engage the upperportions of cans tilted on said supporting means and to guide said cansto recumbent positions on said transverse can-engaging means.

3. In a can washing machine, in combination, means for supporting anedge of: a can as it is moved on end out of said machine and permittingsaid can to tilt in a direction away from said means, a guide memberpositioned to engage said can as it tilts away from said means and alongwhich said can slides to a substantially recumbent position, said guidemember having a transverse portion on which said can pivots to assume anupright position.

i. In a can washing machine, in combina-...

tion, means for supporting an edge of a can as it is moved on end out ofsaid machine and permitting said can to tilt in a direction away fromsaid means, a can-inverting member having a portion positioned to engagesaid can above its center as it is tilted away from said means, and aportion positioned to engage the can beneath its center when said canassumes a recumbent position.

5. In a can washing machine, in combination, means for supporting anedge of a can as it is moved on end out of said machine and permittingsaid can to tilt in a direction away from said means, a can-invertingarm having a downwardly and laterally extending portion for engaging aside of said can above the mid-length of the can when said can is tiltedand guiding said can to a recumbent position, and a transverse portionproviding a pivot at approximately the mid-length of said can when saidcan is in a recumbent position to permit said can to turn thereon toassume an upright position.

6. In a can washing machine, in combination, means for supporting anedge of a can as it is moved on end out of said machine and permittingsaid can to tilt in a direction away from said means, a can-invertingarm extending from a position a distance from said can edge supportingmeans to engage oans tilted thereon above their midlengths to a positionadjacent the horizontal plane of said supporting means and closer to thecenter of cans tilted thereon, and a transverse pivot for said canscloser to said can-supporting means and upon which said cans turn toassume upright position.

7. In a can Washing or the like machine, in combination, a track alongwhich the cans are moved on end and from one end of which theydischarge, a can-inverting arm which curves downwardly and laterallyfrom a point at one side of and above said track and has a transverselyextending portion located beyond the discharge end of said track, aportion of the discharge end of said track at the side thereof adjacentsaid inverting arm being removed whereby the cans are caused to tiltover against said arm and slide downwardly along the curved portion ofthe arm and fall end downward over the transverse portion of the arm.

8. In a can washing or the like machine, in combination, a track alongwhich the cans are moved on end and from one end of which theydischarge, a can-inverting arm which curves downwardly and laterallyfrom a point at one side of and above said track and has a transverselyextending downwardly bent portion with an upturned end located beyondthe discharge end of said track, a portion of the discharge end of saidtrack at the side thereof adjacent said inverting arm being removedwhereby the cans are caused to tilt over against said arm and slidedownwardly along the curved portion of the arm and fall end downwardover the transverse portion of the arm.

EDWARD ROY ALLING. FRANK F. WOLF.

